


Two - The Land of Fiction

by GrumpyJenn



Series: River and the Doctors [11]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-13
Updated: 2012-11-13
Packaged: 2017-11-18 13:56:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/561797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpyJenn/pseuds/GrumpyJenn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I realize that as we get further toward You-Know-Where we have less time with the titular Doctors and more with River and Eleven. But that's how it's writing itself, and I can't force it...</p></blockquote>





	Two - The Land of Fiction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [areyoumarriedriver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/areyoumarriedriver/gifts), [Kerjen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kerjen/gifts).



“It’s all about the hair, honey,” said River smugly, and the Doctor rolled his eyes.

“That’s no reason to go to the Land of Fiction, River,” he admonished her, and she laughed.

“Well, finding a role to step into that’s neither male nor one of your usual travelling companions, this early in your time stream is... challenging, my love.” She grinned at him. “Besides, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have long, _straight_ hair...” She trailed off at the mournful look on his face. “What is it, Sweetie?” she asked, concerned.

“I... River, I _love_ your hair.”

“That would be more effective, honey, if you weren’t actually _pouting_ when you said it,” River said with mild exasperation, but she gently kissed the protruding lower lip. “I’m not going to straighten it, my darling; it’s a perception filter. There now.” His expression lightened and she kissed him again. He’d been sort of needy for the past several days, clinging to her like a small child missing his mum. River sighed. She thought it must be hard on him, having to remember his old friends and companions like this. But he was doing it for her sake, for her quest to meet all his regenerations, so she supposed she owed it to him to indulge this new quirk.

\---/--- 

River sighed again as she climbed back into the TARDIS. Rapunzel hadn’t been a challenging role to play of course, and she did get to meet the second incarnation of her love, but she was tired. Lord but he was hard work young, and here she’d thought he was difficult in the incarnation she knew best. She shut the doors gently behind her this time and the Doctor looked up from the console.

“Hello, Sweetie,” she said, but she could hear that her voice sounded tired. Nearly as tired as her love looked. “My love, if this is too hard on you... I know you aren’t meeting your other selves but we _are_ still crossing your time stream... if it’s too hard on you we can stop.” She looked up at him from her spot by the doors, and he smiled tiredly down at her.

“No, my River,” he said softly. “You need to do this. I’m just...” He spread his hands.

“Just brooding, my love,” she said, “as you are wont to do. Come here.” She held open her arms and he walked straight toward her, a sure sign that he was more than merely tired; he didn’t spin or skip or lope or indulge in any of the endearingly mad methods of transport that were his usual. He only walked, and when he reached her he put his arms around her, and just held on. “Truly, honey, if you can’t manage I can live without meeting the first you,” River said tearfully against the skin just above his bow tie. “I hate seeing you hurting like this.”

“It’s nothing,” he said shortly, and let her go, and River knew Rule One was in full effect. She’d get nothing more out of him today.

 _(spoilers)_ said the TARDIS in the back of their minds, and the Doctor smiled sadly and gathered River back into his arms and fiddled with the contraption on her wrist.

“She’s right, my River,” he murmured into her hair as the perception filter’s effect dissolved. “I can’t tell you what it _is_. But I can tell you what it’s _not_. Ahhh... _there’s_ my wife,” He took a deep breath as the bio-dampener earrings sprang free. “It’s not the memories of my friends and it’s not your quest to meet all the iterations of me you can. It’s... something else. Something spoilery.” He buried his nose in her hair and just breathed her in, and as they stood there, River thought she heard his voice in her mind, echoing her own.

_I’m sorry, my love._

**Author's Note:**

> I realize that as we get further toward You-Know-Where we have less time with the titular Doctors and more with River and Eleven. But that's how it's writing itself, and I can't force it...


End file.
